Integrating Behavioral Health and Primary Care: Persistent Challenges and Potential Solutions

Primary care is an essential access point for much needed behavioral and mental health care in this country. There is clear evidence that integrating behavioral health and primary care works, but it is not a prevalent practice. Indeed, it has been sparsely adopted.

On May 20, NEHI facilitated a discussion among experts who have been working on integration issues for much of their careers to bring further clarity to what successful integration entails and to develop points of collaboration around priorities to advance adoption and sustained implementation. 

• Download the summary here.

Below, please find additional resources shared by the panelists:

• Financial integration of behavioral health in Medicaid managed care organizations: A new taxonomy from the Center for Health Systems Effectiveness
• Clinical Workflows and the Associated Tasks and Behaviors to Support Delivery of Integrated Behavioral Health and Primary Care from the U.S. National Library of Medicine
• Publications from Advancing Care Together at the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Colorado
• Cost savings associated with an alternative payment model for integrating behavioral health in primary care from the National Library of Medicine
• The Academy - Integrating Behavioral Health and Primary Care from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
• An Evidence Roadmap for Implementation of Integrated Behavioral Health under the Affordable Care Act from the U.S. National Library of Medicine
• Tackling America’s Mental Health and Addiction Crisis Through Primary Care Integration from the Bipartisan Policy Center
• Measurement-Based Care in the Treatment of Mental Health & Substance Use Disorders from the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute
• Importance of Investing in BH from The Chartis Group
• COVID-19: Collaborative Care As a Solution briefing from The Chartis Group
• Blue Ridge Behavioral Health Report

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